On September 11, 2008, CARB issued a heavy-duty OBD amendments package that will be brought before the Board at a public haring in early 2009.
The proposal would amend the existing HD OBD requirements for 2010 and subsequent model year (MY) HD vehicles and engines (ref. section 1971.1, title 13 CCR). The proposed amendments relate to the diesel engine monitoring requirements, including modifications that add lead time to specific monitoring requirements, increase malfunction thresholds for specific monitors, and maintain consistency with the OBD II requirements. Other proposed amendments include updates to reference documents incorporated in the regulation as well as clarifications and/or modifications to several areas of the regulation, including the in-use monitor performance ratio denominator definitions, standardization requirements, and certification demonstration test aging requirements. All of CARB’s proposed modifications are contained in the draft regulatory language available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/obdprog/obdworkshops.htm. Proposed additions to the regulation are denoted by underline and proposed deletions are denoted by strikeout.
In addition to the proposed amendments to section 1971.1, CARB is also proposing adoption of section 1971.5, title 13, CCR, which would detail in-use enforcement provisions that apply specifically to heavy-duty OBD systems that conform to the heavy duty OBD regulation, section 1971.1. Similar to the OBD II enforcement regulation (section 1968.5), this proposed regulation would include detailed procedures for in-use enforcement testing of heavy-duty OBD systems, and would also detail procedures that would be followed by ARB if, after such testing, heavy-duty OBD systems of a tested engine family were found to be nonconforming. Among other things, the proposed procedures would authorize ARB to take remedial action, which may include recall of engines in which the nonconforming systems are installed and assessment of monetary penalties against the affected engine manufacturer. As the CARB staff is currently still determining the appropriate enforcement procedures to apply to heavy-duty OBD systems, draft regulatory language for this proposed enforcement regulation is not available at this time.
As discussed in CARB Mail-Out #MSC 08-25, CARB will hold a workshop to discuss the proposed changes at the following time and place:
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Air Resources Board
Annex IV Auditorium
9530 Telstar Avenue
El Monte, CA 91731
Persons wanting to make a formal presentation during the workshop should contact Mike McCarthy of CARB at (626) 771-3614, or email at mmccarth@arb.ca.gov.